(BOP) - During the week of July 28, 2014, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Big Spring, TX, hosted Camp Promise to build and enhance relationships between incarcerated fathers and their children. Promises for Families of San Angelo, Texas, coordinated the activities and provided certified counselors for the event. In order to participate, inmates must have successfully completed a parenting class, maintained 12 months of clear institutional conduct, and met other security-based requirements.
Thirteen children, ages eight to fifteen, participated in the week-long program with ten inmate fathers. Activities included arts and crafts, journaling, dancing, games, and the construction of a family crest and a family mural. The camp took place in the FCI Visiting Room under the supervision of Bureau of Prisons Education and Reentry staff. After the children and counselors departed the institution each day, they returned to a local camp site for additional activities with camp counselors.